Kurogane High
by Kouji Tamino
Summary: Year: 2006. Tetsunosuke Ichimura has just entered high school. There he makes enemies, friends, and even falls in love. But there are many dark secrets among the adults in his life, and it's about to affect him and his classmates as well. Chapter 5 up
1. The Worst Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Peacemaker Kurogane and I am not making any money off of this hobby of mine.

Yes, another Peacemaker fic taking place in modern times. Hopefully, this story will be different from any story with a similar setup you may have read before. Anyway, this will focus mainly on the younger characters as high school students. Most of the Shinsengumi officers will be teachers at the school, while other characters will show as guardians to other characters or perhaps have different occupations. We'll just have to wait and see. This should be pretty fun if I can pull it off. Anyway, let's begin.

---Kouji Tamino

-----

**Kurogane High**

Chapter 1: _The Worst Day_

Tetsunosuke Ichimura ran frantically toward the train station. Today was the first day of school and he was a first year high school student. Dressed in a black Japanese public school uniform with the jacket open and white sneakers, he dashed through the doors. He came to a dead stop as he was grabbed by the collar of his jacket. "H-hey! Let me go, damn it! I-- Huh?"

Hajime Saito gave the red head a deadpan look. "You shouldn't run, Ichimura. Someone might get hurt." He was dressed in a police officers uniform.

"Officer Saito? What are _you_ doing here?" Tetsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A security guard suddenly fell ill." He replied, monotonously. "I came to take his place. It was on short notice, so I am still in my school uniform."

Ichimura chuckled awkwardly, struggling to get out of the officer's grasp. "That's nice and all, but if I don't catch the next train, I'll be late for my first day of high school!"

"Hmm…" he replied. "Can't have that, now can we?" Putting the rather short 15-year old down, he sighed. "Just be careful, now. I can sense restless spirits coming from that school whenever I pass."

"Okay, Officer Saito!" Tetsunosuke shouted, speed walking towards his destination. "Boy, he sure is creepy sometimes…" Looking at his watch, he groaned. "Aw, damn! I lost two whole minutes! I'd better hurry!"

-----

After buying a new rail card, he was relieved to find that his train hadn't left yet. "All right!" Her screamed as he was suddenly pushed over by a taller boy dressed in the same uniform. "Hey!" Tetsu shouted angrily, picking himself up from the ground. "What the hell? Apologize!" The headphone wearing boy simply ignored him, getting on the train that Tetsunosuke was getting on. Growling angrily, he stomped his way toward the gate, scanned his card, and made his way onto the train. He was hoping he'd be able to find the boy and confront him. Just to his luck, the boy was standing just a few feet away from him, still bobbing his head to whatever he was listening to. Getting a better look at him, he seemed to be a bit older looking than his actual age. He was tall, with black spiky hair that was a tad long in the back. His eyes were closed, and he had on a black headband tied around his head. Like him, the taller boy's uniform jacket was open. On his feet was a pair of blue and white sneakers. As Tetsunosuke walked over to the spiky haired fellow, a rush of 'last minute' passengers pushed over and trampled him. "This is just not my day…"

"Are you on the ground again?" the taller boy asked, opening one of his brown eyes. Tetsu noticed that the boy had an accent. "What a klutz you are."

"Shut up!" Tetsunosuke screamed, standing up and walking over to him. "Now apologize for pushing me earlier!"

Staring at him for a moment, the boy pushed back one side of his headphones. "What was that, little boy?"

"Damn it, I'm not a little boy!" Tetsu shouted, causing a scene on the train. Then again, not many people noticed. Some were preoccupied with being molested by perverts and said perverts were preoccupied doing the molesting. "And apologize for knocking me over!"

"I'm sorry that you're so clumsy. Now go away, you're annoying me", the boy named Susumu said bluntly, going back to his music without a second thought. Obviously, subtlety was _not_ his strong point.

"Bastard!" Tetsu screamed, kicking Susumu in the shin. "You take that back!"

"Ow!" Susumi yelped in pain, grabbing his leg and wincing. "Why the-- You little --!" Grabbing Tetsunosuke by the collar and lifting him up, he gritted his teeth. Regaining his composure, he glared at the shorter boy and sighed as he let him go. "You may not be a little kid, but you sure act like it."

Tetsunosuke bit his lip in frustration, clenching his fists. "Well, at least I'm not an icy bastard like you…" He muttered, after turning around and walking away.

-----

Meanwhile, at Nanae Chrono High, new Principal Toshizo Hijikata and Vice-Principal Isami Kondo were making some last minute preparations for the first day of school. "Damn it, where is that speech?" Hijikata cursed, running a hand through his hair. Wearing a black suit, red tie, and black dress shoes, he was beyond stressed. He had worked on his 'Welcome 1st Years' speech all night, just to lose it? There was no way he was going to let it all end like this.

"Are you sure you brought it?" Kondo asked, crossing his arms. "Perhaps you left it at home?" This theory earned him a glare from the principal. "Or maybe not…" Searching a drawer, he produced a piece of paper with writing on it. "Why not use last year's speech instead?" He gulped as, in merely seconds, Hijikata was right in front of him, his eyes glowing yellow. "Um…"

"Never…" Hijikata replied in a dark tone of voice. "Never, in my 4 years as principal, have I _ever_ reused a speech. I don't plan on breaking that tradition, even at a new school." His eyes suddenly widened. "We either find the speech, or I adlib the whole damn thing…"

"Excuse me, Mr. Hijikata?" a very effeminate man with long black hair poked his head into the room. He was wearing a blue dress shirt, cream colored pants, brown shoes, and a smile. "I hate to bother you when you seem so busy, but when will the new math books arrive? The old ones are pretty much unusable at this point."

"Yo!" shouted Sanosuke Harada, Gym Teacher. He wore a white polo shirt, black shorts, and white tennis shoes. "Is the new gym equipment in yet?"

"We need new geography books!" Shinpachi shouted, in his red dress shirts, black pants, and black shoes.

"Some of my cooking equipment is getting rusty!"

"The books in the library predate 1987!"

"I don't need the new math books today, but they were supposed to have arrived by now! I'm getting worried…"

"QUIET!" Hijikata screamed at the top of his lungs. "Now listen. I know that this school is kind of run down, but the new school supplies and equipment are on the way!" Calming down, he began to rub his temples. "They're just delayed, that's all…" As the room cleared, he sighed. "What a wretched school. If the teachers are this bad, I wonder what the kids will be like… What a state the former Principal left this school in."

"Don't be too hard on him, he really tried his best." Kondo replied defensively. "He's a great man."

Rubbing his temples, Hijikata sighed. "You're right. Besides…" he began with a smirk. "Anyone that can handle this place for 3 years has my respect."

-----

After arriving at the school, Tetsunosuke began to have second thoughts. "Oh no… I'm not ready for this…" He stopped walking as he reached the courtyard, looking around nervously. "So many older girls here…" He blushed, looking down at the ground as 3rd year girls passed by and giggled, pointing at him. The girls uniform was a white and red sailor fuku blouse, the skirt was red, the socks were white of course, and the shoes varied from person to person.

Pretty soon, a small pack of 3rd year girls had gathered around him, poking him and cooing at him with cries of "Aww, so adorable!" and "Is he a high school student? He's so precious!"

Tetsu's face turned even redder as the older girls focused all of their attention on him, their boyfriends getting jealous. '_Why does this always happen to me?_' He groaned as he looked around. '_And their boyfriends look pretty pissed…_' Just then, in the corner of his eye, he saw the cutest girl he had ever seen. Short black hair and big brown eyes, she was walking with two other girls towards the entrance of the school. Wandering away from the crowd, much to the group of 3rd year's chagrin, he started to follow her. Focused on this new face, he ended up bumping into someone. Falling back and hitting the ground, he growled. "Hey!" he shouted, quickly standing up. "Watch where you're going!"

The dark skinned, white haired boy frowned. "I could say the same for you." He was wearing the uniform correctly, with a pair of black dress shoes on his feet. "It's not my fault you were too preoccupied with skirt chasing."

Gritting his teeth, the shorter boy stood on his tiptoes. "Why, you--!" At that moment, the bell rang. Growling in annoyance, he turned away in a huff. "We'll settle this later!"

"Whatever…" Suzu said with a shake of his head, smirking.

-----

"You!" was the reaction of Tetsunosuke and Susumu as they realized that they were going to be in Class 1-A together. They were pointing at each other with shocked looks on their face.

"Just what the hell are you doing in _my_ class, spiky head!" Tetsu screamed, slamming his hands on his desk while standing.

"Don't ask me…" Susumu muttered coolly, calming down and taking his seat. "It wasn't **my** decision…"

"Damn it, you piss me off so much!" the redhead shouted, stomping his feet.

"My sentiments exactly…" the spiky haired boy replied. "Just stay out of my way, okay?"

"Grah!" Tetsu clenched his fists, ready to clock his new classmate. The entire class was staring at this confrontation intently, ready for a fight to break out.

"Okay class, settle down!" Math teacher Souji Okita shouted, clapping his hands to get the student's attention as he walked in. "Please take your seats."

"Stupid spike headed, no eye browed freak…" Tetsu muttered, sitting down.

Okita giggled as Tetsunosuke sulked in his seat. "Since today's just the first day, let's get acquainted, shall we?" One by one, students stood up, gave their names, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, and what their dream is.

As Tetsunosuke's turn came up, he stood up and shouted his name proudly. "My name is Tetsunosuke Ichimura!" he blushed as he got a few more 'precious' and 'cute' comments from girls. He continued his introduction with a big, cheerful grin. "My hobby is practicing kendo! Things I like include eating and sleeping! Things I dislike include spiky haired jerks who push people down and don't apologize!" He glared over at Susumu, who rolled his eyes response.

When the dark haired boy's turn came up, he stood slowly. A few girls swooned and began talking amongst each other about him. Sighing in annoyance, he began. "I'm Susumu Yamazaki. That's all you need to know about me." The whole room was silent after that, everyone staring at him.

"Oh, um…" Okita began, blinking rapidly. "Okay."

-----

And so, the day went on. At the end of school, Tetsunosuke began to walk home. "Damn. Today sucked."

"Tetsunosuke! Wait!" Okita shouted, running over to the boy.

"Mr. Okita?" Testu tilted his head in confusion. "What is it?"

Smiling cheerfully, he continued. "I seem to recall you saying that your hobby was kendo. How would you like to join the Kendo Club?"

"Huh?" Tetsunosuke raised an eyebrow in surprise.

-----

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Tetsunosuke Ichimura and Suzu Kitamura!." Okita said with a grin, introducing him. "They are going to join our Kendo Club!"

"Hey, it's you!" Tetsu shouted, pointing at the tanned boy.

"What are _you_ doing in here, you brat?" Suzu asked in annoyance.

"Oh, so you already know each other?" Okita asked, clapping his hands together once. "How wonderful!"

"Yes, but we didn't meet on the best terms…" Suzu muttered, staring at the shorter boy.

"Oh, I see…" said Okita, chuckling a bit. "Since you two are the newest members, why not have a sparring match with each other as your initiation?"

"Me, spar with that puny brat?" Suzu replied with a shocked look on his face. "No way, I might accidentally step on him!"

Tetsu growled, stomping his foot. "You take that back, you gremlin-eyed freak!"

Suzu smirked. "Want to shut me up?" Grabbing two shinai, he tossed one to Tetsu. "show me how good you are with a sword."

"Fine then, you bastard!" Tetsunosuke screamed, catching the bamboo sword and getting into a stance. "I'll show you how good I am!"

"Wait, wait!" Okita shouted, running towards them. Soon, the two boys found themselves in the traditional kendo gear. The teacher giggled, waving his finger. "Safety first!" A serious expression suddenly came over his face as he stood in between the two boys. The rest of the club watched, curious to see how the two new younger members sparred. "This will be a one round spar. First to two points wins!"

And so it began. Tetsunosuke ran toward Suzu in a rage, shinai raised above his head. Swinging wildly, he missed several times, Suzu blocking and dodging all of his thrusts.

'_He's fast, I'll give him that._' Suzu thought to himself. '_But he has no style!_' Moving out of the way of a strike completely, he countered by stepping forward and hitting Tetsu on his noggin. "Head!" he shouted, gaining a point.

"That's one point for Kitamura!" Souji shouted, waving his left hand.

"You were saying?" Suzu replied, smiling cockily.

Calming down, Tetsunosuke laughed. "Who said I was done?" Stepping forward, he began to strike quickly, forcing Suzu back a bit. He made several fake attempts at his opponents head, both the top and either sides, trying to keep him off guard. Then, as he seemingly made another attempt at the head, he quickly moved his shinai down to the left wrist of his opponent. "Wrist!" he yelled, stepping forward as he whacked him on the left wrist.

"Point to Ichimura!"

"Not bad…" Kitamura said with a shrug. "But that trick won't work again!"

"Neck!" Ichimura screamed, thrusting his shinai forward with so much force, it knocked the other boy's bamboo sword right out of his hands. He continued with his thrust to the neck, making contact right as Suzu's shinai came back down… Right on his head. "Ow…"

Okita and the other members looked on in shock. "Um… a tie?"

Rubbing his neck, Suzu took off his face protector. Looking down at Tetsunosuke, he sighed, offering a hand to help him up. "You're… pretty good…"

Tetsunosuke smirked, taking his hand. "You're not too bad yourself." As he was lifted up, he laughed and started to take off his Bogu. "That was pretty funny at the end though."

"Ha, yeah." Suzu said in agreement. "Who would've thought that something like that would have happened. You would have beat me if it hadn't."

"Yeah, but what can you do…" Tetsunosuke said while scratching his head, slight disappointment in his tone.

Okita smiled as he looked on. "They're not fighting anymore. That's good…"

As the two boys laughed, Tetsu thought to himself. '_Hey, I think I made a new friend... Maybe today **wasn't **such a bad day..._'

**End of Chapter 1.**


	2. Teachers and Low Funds

Hmm, the first chapter had a good first impression, I see… Time to see if I can keep up the quality!

By the way, 'English' dialogue ,as in dialogue spoken by a character in English as opposed to Japanese, will be represented like /this/.

---Kouji Tamino

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**Kurogane High**

Chapter 2: _Teachers and Low Funds_

"Tatsu!" Tetsunosuke shouted, bursting through the front door. "Tatsunosuke! I'm back from school!"

Looking up from some mail, the older Ichimura sibling smiled. He was dressed in an open short sleeved red over-shirt, black t-shirt, blue jeans, and white socks. "Hey! Tetsu! How was your first day of school?"

"Terrible, for the most part…" Tetsunosuke muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "But I sort of made a new friend! His name's Suzu!"

"Well that's good…" Tatsunosuke replied, chuckling nervously. "At least you're finally making friends. I could have sworn that you were about to tell me that you got into another fi--"

"Oh yeah…" Tetsu added, crossing his arms and glaring. "There's this bastard in my class with this really cold look in his eyes." Huffing, he growled. "He really pisses me off!"

Sighing, the older brother rubbed his temples, grumbling under his breath. "Never mind, forget I said anything…" Shaking his head, he walked into the kitchen. "You hungry? I can start dinner now if you are."

"Um, kind of…" the red haired 15-year-old replied, rubbing his stomach. "Lunch was pretty skimpy…" He blushed as his stomach growled noisily. "Okay, I guess I _am_ pretty hungry…"

Laughing, Tatsunosuke began to get out some pots and pans. "All right! Dinner should be ready in about an hour."

-----

"Mr. Yoshida!" Suzu shouted in greeting, walking into the apartment. "I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Suzu…" Toshimaro Yoshida replied, waving from the couch. He was wearing a black silk shirt and matching slacks and socks, drinking tea. "Sit down and have some tea with me. You must be thirsty…"

Nodded, Suzu smiled before taking a seat next to his legal guardian. Yoshida was the former employer for his late older brother, who had been mysteriously murdered. No one to this day knows who did it. "Thank you, Mr. Yoshida." He held up his cup as the black haired man filled it. "Thank you." he repeated, taking a sip. "So… How was work today?"

"Messy." Yoshida said simply, taking a sip of his tea.

"Oh, um…" Suzu began, once again confused by his guardian's cryptic answer. He always gave answers like that. 'Messy. Risky. Easy.' To tell the truth, it made him a bit uneasy. But Yoshida had been the only one there for him when his brother died. He trusted him. "I joined the Kendo Club today. There was this one kid who was pretty good…"

"I see." Yoshida replied, standing up as his cell phone rang. "Hello?" his calm demeanor suddenly intensified as he listened to the person on the other side of the line. "Are you sure?" Nodding, he sighed. "Fine." Hanging up, he looked to the boy he was responsible for. "I'm needed at work again. Looks like you'll have to order take-out again. There's money on the dresser in my room." He put on a black coat and a pair of matching boots, opening the door. "I'll probably be out late again. Goodnight, Suzu."

"But Mr. Yoshida!" he shouted, sighing as the door shut. "Never mind…" He leaned to the side in exasperation, lying on his side on the sofa. "I wonder what I should have for dinner tonight?"

-----

And so, the second day of school arrived. With a bit of pep in his step, Tetsunosuke arrived in class with a smile on his face. Okita had arrived early that morning, giggling as he watched the red haired student started humming after taking a seat. "You seem awfully chipper, Tetsu!"

"Mmm hmm!" Tetsunosuke said with a smile. "That's right! I'm not going to let anyone get me down today!"

"Is that so?" Susumu asked, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. "Good for you."

"Not even your coldhearted-ness can bring me down now!" Tetsunosuke shouted, his grin widening. '_Damn it!_' He thought to himself furiously. '_That guy really pisses me off!_'

-----

Later, as Class 1-A's Math class ended, Class 1-B's was beginning. As Okita walked into the class, a girl with straight long brown hair squealed. "IT'S GALLANT SENSEI OKITA! I mean…" she began, calming down and blushing. "Good morning, Sensei…"

Blinking, a bit surprised by that sudden outburst, Okita smiled and waved. "Good morning to you too, Hotaru…"

Groaning, Suzu shook his head. "Not this again…. Will I have to put up with this all year?"

-----

Meanwhile, Class 1-A was in P.E. The class had to do eight laps. As Tetsunosuke was doing his third lap, he happened to notice that the cute girl he had seen the other day was in a Swimming class. Mesmerized by the sight of her going off the diving board, he failed to notice the large crowd of people running towards him. By the time he realized what was happening, he had been trampled by half of his class.

As Tetsunosuke groaned in pain, P.E. teacher Sanosuke Harada walked by. "You okay, kid?" Taking a quick glance over to the pool, he grinned. "Oh, I see… You little perv! Serves you right!" Helping his student up he laughed. "Next time, pay attention to the exercise and not women!"

"Shut up…" Tetsu muttered, face first in the ground. He screamed as he was grabbed in a head lock and given a noogie by the large man. "Ow!" he screamed, wincing at the painful friction. "That hurts, damn it!"

"Not a chance, puppy boy!" Sanosuke shouted, squeezing harder. "I'll teach you to neglect your running!"

-----

"Today we're going to learn how to make rice balls!" a woman with black hair said cheerfully, in the same accent Susumu had. She wore a light pink dress, matching heels, and a yellow ribbon around her waist.

"Ms. Hamazaki, when will we actually get to cook something?" Tetsunosuke asked, in a somewhat bored tone. He yelled in pain as he was punched in the back of the head. "Hey! What the hell?"

"It's only our second day, you dunce." Susumu replied, annoyance evident in his voice. "I doubt she'd let a bunch of amateurs anywhere _near_ an oven, much less someone like you."

"Susumu!" Ayumu shouted, glaring at the boy. "What have I told you about copping an attitude while at school? No little brother of mine will be a bully!"

"WHAT?" Tetsunosuke asked, screaming at the top of his lungs in surprise. "You two are brother and sister!"

"You're just now figuring that out?" Susumu asked, smacking his forehead. "Useless _and_ stupid…"

"You take that back, you freak!" Tetsunosuke screamed, getting up in the dark haired boy's face.

An anger mark suddenly sprouted on Ayumu's head. "Both of you… stop right now!"

The two boys, having started a growling contest against each other, suddenly stopped. Sighing, they bowed in shame. "We're sorry…"

"This is all _your_ fault…" Tetsunosuke whispered, glaring while still in a bow.

"Don't start with me, you little midget…" Susumu whispered back, in the same position.

"Hey!" Ayumu screamed, waving her knife in a very threatening manner. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"

"Yes ma'am!" The two boys shouted, snapping up at attention. They both made a mental note to at _try_ to get along in Ayumu's presence. That woman was _scary_ when she was angry…

-----

Next up was English class. The man teaching the class was quite a sight… Dressed in a button up Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, shades, and sandals, the dreadlocked man placed a cowboy hat on his desk. "Hello there/boys and girls/" The odd man greeted the classroom in half Japanese, half English. "I'd have you open you English books, but it looks like they haven't arrived yet. /Oh, well/ We'll have to use the old ones for now! If I can just find them…" As he searched for the outdated books, he began to sing to himself… Butchering a familiar song as he did so. "O say can yu shiii? Bai za don ery rai!"

"What a weirdo…" Susumu muttered, hands in his head.

"He… reminds me of my dad…" Tetsunosuke said wistfully, eyes widened in shock.

"Huh?" Susumu raised an eyebrow, giving the shorter boy a peculiar look. "What do you mean by that?"

Staring down at his desk, Tetsunosuke's expression became grave. "My dad, he… used to talk that way…"

Susumu nodded in understanding, gaining a little respect for the redhead. It looked like for once, they had something in common…

-----

Tetsunosuke sighed as he looked around at all the outdated non-fiction books. His English teacher, named Ryouma Sakamoto, had taken the class down to the library to check out books on the United States of America. He groaned as he looked through the horribly inaccurate books. Even _he _knew that Jimmy Carter was _not _the current President of the US. "Oh man, this is so sad it's funny."

Susumu snorted, surprising Tetsunosuke, while flipping through one book as he shook his head. "I know… I mean, the most recent book here doesn't even cover the 9/11 attack and that was almost five years ago! Does the librarian here even live in this decade?"

"It would help if you didn't make such comments while I'm standing right behind you." Tatsunosuke replied, frowning.

"GYYYAAAH!" Tetsunosuke screamed, jumping up in the air. Susumu snapped up and shuddered in surprise. "TATSU, WHAT THE HELL ARE -- MMPH!" the boy's screaming was quickly muffled by his older brother.

"Tetsu! Will you be quiet?" Tatsunosuke whispered harshly, covering up his younger brother's mouth with his hand. "Don't forget, you're in a library right now!" Voice returning to a normal volume, he sighed. "Anyway, I work here now. The old librarian had actually retired, but was here yesterday to finish up the transition."

"So!" Ryouma shouted, putting a hand on the younger Ichimura's head. "/Iron-boy, I guess that you and the new librarian are--" He gasped as he looked at the older young man, lowering his shades as he squinted. Was he seeing things? He couldn't be seeing who he thought he saw. "/Peacemaker/…"

Tilting his head, Tatsunosuke gave Ryouma a confused look. Just what the heck was that weird guy talking about? He didn't want to dwell on the matter, so he dropped it. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he turned back to his younger brother. "Um, anyway, I have to get back to my desk… Take care, Tetsunosuke…" He gave Ryouma a suspicious look before departing.

-----

"WHAT THE HELL?" History teacher Shinpachi screamed, dressed in a brown suit, smacking his forehead. "Why do these books say that Kobe has just begun recovery from the 1995 earthquake?" Tossing the book to the ground, he gritted his teeth angrily. "Damn!" Sighing, he rubbed his temples. "Okay, okay… I guess we have to wait until we get better books…"

-----

"Well today was particularly…" Susumu began, walking to the Wood Shop class. "useless…"

Tetsunosuke nodded, pouting. "Yeah, we didn't learn jack!"

"Your grammar is atrocious." The black haired youth replied.

"Who asked you?" The fiery haired boy asked, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, whatever…" Susumu was not in the mood to deal with him right now.

-----

"Wow!" Tetsu shouted excitedly, running over to the buzz saw. I've always wanted to see one of these!" Examining it, he looked around at the machine, looking for a way to turn it on. "I wonder where the switch is…"

"H-hey!" Heisuke Todou, the teacher of this class shouted. He was dressed in a light blue t-shirt, old jeans, and white tennis shoes. "Don't touch that thing! It's--" His haw dropped as the saw fell off, turned in the air, and chopped off the tip of Tetsunosuke's shoe.

Tetsu winced as he felt a sudden stinging sensation in his foot. Looking down, he froze as a small trickle of blood leaked out. Suddenly feeling light headed and sick, Tetsunosuke passed out from shock. The whole class gasped, a few girl screaming and one other guy passing out as well.

To Be Continued…


	3. Saya

After a long absence, I'm back. Unfortunately, I've hit a nasty case of writer's block. That's not a good sign so early in the story, is it? Oh well, whenever I beat writer's block, it goes away quickly. Just need to get the creative juices flowing.

---Kouji Tamino

-----

**Kurogane High**

Chapter 3: _Saya_

Tetsunosuke awoke, groaning and examining his surroundings. His big toe was wrapped up in bandages and it _seemed_ to still be there… He raised an eyebrow as he saw a familiar face. "Ms. Yamazaki? What are you doing here?"

Ayumu sighed, an annoyed expression on her face. "Yeah, low budget equals doubling up on certain jobs. I'm also the school nurse." Her expression softening, she smiled at the boy. "Your foot should be fine. Only the very tip of your big toe was cut off." She suddenly gave him an upset look. "But be more careful next time! Todou told me you had been messing with the old buzz saw!"

"I'm sorry…" Tetsunosuke replied humbly, bowing in shame. "Did…" he began, looking up slowly. "Did Mr. Todou get fired because of me?"

Shaking her head, she gave him a comforting smile. "No… Since it wasn't his fault in the first place, he was simply given another job." Sweat dropping, she chuckled nervously and began to whisper. "Don't tell Mr. Hijikata this if you ever see him, but I think he also didn't to get in trouble since he would be held responsible for the current under funded state of the school…"

Tetsu gave her an odd look for a moment, before laughing.

-----

As Tetsu walked back down the hallway, limping a bit, he walked past Susumu, who sighed. "So, how many toes do you have left?" The bell had rung a few moments ago ,effectively ending the school day.

"That's not funny, you bastard!" Tetsunosuke snapped, stomping his foot angrily. "I could have lost my toe or something!"

"Hmph…" He grunted in annoyance, grabbing Tetsunosuke by the head and picking him up. "Then don't play with buzz saws, you damn idiot!"

"You're the idiot!" Testu screamed. "Put me down!" By this point, a small crowd had gathered in the hallway to watch this little confrontation. A few girls began to pout over the fact that someone as small as Tetsu was getting picked on by someone was big as Susumu.

"Now, now, what's the problem here?" asked a kind sounding voice. The crowd cleared to reveal a man in custodial clothing. He had brown hair an old-fashioned Japanese haircut, complete with topknot, with bangs hanging in the front. Smiling, he walked over and stood next to the boys. "What's going on here? If you two don't stop fighting, the principal may get involved."

"Daaah!" Tetsu screamed, suddenly remembering his earlier meeting with Mr. Hijikata that day. After accidentally bumping into the man in the hallways, he was given a rather frightening glare. He made himself an oath to _never_ cross his path ever again, if he could help it. "N-no! That's fine with me!" He shouted frantically. He chuckled in and nervous, awkward tone. "Me and Susumu were just joking around, right?"

"Whatever…" Susumu muttered, letting the shorter boy go. "Just stay out of my way." With that, he walked off.

"Bleh!" Tetsu stuck out his tongue and pulled down one of his bottom eyelids. "Ya big jerk!" He gasped as the man put a hand on his head. "Um… I was just--"

"Try and stay out of trouble, okay?" Smiling, the man left, just as quickly as he arrived. The crowd had dispersed, leaving only a few people. They watched the head custodian walk off in wonder.

Tetsunosuke stared off into the distance for a while, raising an eyebrow. "What an odd guy…" As he checked his watch to see what time it was, he screamed and made a made dash out of the main building. "Damn, I'm gonna be late for Kendo Club!"

-----

Suzu frowned as he suited up. Where was Tetsunosuke? Sure he was a bit annoying at times, but he was still his friendly rival. While sparring with older, more experienced members was cool, he needed someone his age with around equal skills to keep him getting too cocky. He raised an eyebrow as Okita put a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he gasped. The master had a sad expression on his face. "Huh? What's wrong, Master Okita?"

"Tetsunosuke… Had an accident today…" Sensing the boy's worry, he gave him a comforting smile. "Oh, don't worry! From what I've heard, it wasn't very serious!" He sighed in disappointment, turning a few heads as he pouted like a child. "But I don't think Tetsu will make it tod--"

"Sorry I'm late!" the fiery redhead shouted, limping in. "Got into a fight with some punk and lost track of time!"

"Tetsunosuke!" Souji shouted, frowning. "You shouldn't be here! You're injured!" Pointing at his student's foot, he huffed. "Just look at you! You can barely walk it hurts so much!"

Suzu nodded in agreement. "You should go home and get some rest! I will not fight a crippled opponent!"

"But I'm fine!" Tetsunosuke shouted pleadingly. "Please, Mr. Okita! Let me spar today!"

The feminine looking man shook his head. "No way. Go home and rest that foot! The club will still be here when you return. That's an order!"

"Yes, sir…" Tetsunosuke said with a solemn look on his face.

-----

As Tetsu limped pitifully down the street, he kicked a can in anger with his good foot. "Damn it! As if this day couldn't get any worse!" As he trudged towards the train station, he caught sight of someone familiar in the corner of his eye. "Huh?" Looking over, his jaw almost dropped. Walking out of a Burusera store was the cute short haired girl and her friend. Tetsunosuke stared in disbelief. What in the hell was she doing in a store that sells used panties and school girl uniforms for fetishists? Running over to the girls, he panted heavily as he stopped in front of them. "What the heck? What are you two doing?" Catching his breath for a moment, he continued. "Don't you two have more pride than that?" Unexpectedly, his comment was met with a hard slap to the face. Rubbing his stinging cheek in pain, he frowned angrily. "What the hell was that for?"

"Mind your own business!" The other girl shouted. She had longer hair than Saya's and a Kansai accent. "It's none of your concern what Saya and I do to make ends meet!" Huffing, she turned away from him. "You have no idea what we have to go through! Jerk!"

"But…" Testu began, stuttering as the short haired girl named Saya glared at him. "I… didn't mean it like--" Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth with his head toward the ground, the two girls quickly ran off. "W-wait!" he shouted, reaching towards them. "Wait…"

-----

A few days later, at lunch time, Class 1-A's homeroom teacher Souji Okita frowned as he watched a pouty Tetsunosuke pick at his food. "I think our little puppy boy is depressed…" he said to Sanosuke, who was hanging around until his next class started. "He's been like this for 3 days, and it's worrying me!"

"Hmm…" Harada rubbed his chin, a smirk growing. "I think I have an idea on how to cheer him up--"

"No." Okita suddenly said in a dark voice, his eyes becoming demon-like. "You will _not_ take him to a brothel…"

"Are you _still_ sore about that? The kid only got expelled for 10 weeks!" Sanosuke waved his hands in defense, referring to an earlier incident with a different student. "Anyway, I was just going to suggest getting him something to cheer him up."

"Hmmm…" Souji tilted his head, thinking for a moment. He was a bit short on cash at the moment, but there was one thing he _did_ have with him at the moment… Walking over to the boy, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Hello there, Tetsunosuke! Something seems to be bothering you."

"Um… I guess…" He replied weakly. "I really don't want to talk about it…" he muttered, moving his lunch out of the way and setting his head down on the desk. Saya, the cute girl he had been infatuated with, now seemingly hated him. Every time they met eyes, she would stare at him for a while until her friends chased him away. Needless to say, he was feeling pretty bad right now. Just as he was about to get lost in thought, an envelope was plopped on his desk. "Huh?" He lifted his head, looking to his teacher. "What's this?" As Souji motioned him to open it, he complied. He gasped as he pulled out a pair of tickets. "Whoa! These are for the new Seven Samurai remake!" he shouted excitedly. "These tickets are sold out everywhere! Where did you get them?"

"I bought these ahead of time." The man replied. "But you seem to be a bit down, so I'll give these to you."

Excitement began to waver as Tetsu sighed. "I can't take these, Mr. Okita…" He began, pushing the tickets away. "These are really valuable." He really appreciated the offer, but he didn't want to seem selfish. Besides, he'd rather earn the tickets, not receive them in pity.

He chuckled. This boy had good morals. "Tetsunosuke Ichimura!" Okita shouted, a determined expression on his face. "You will go to the movies with a friend, you will like it, and you will cheer up! Got it?"

Suddenly tensing up, he snapped up out of his seat. "Yes sir!" he replied, picking up he tickets. He did not feel like invoking "Demon Okita" at the moment.

-----

At the end of the day, he cheerfully walked home, his foot's pain having lessened greatly. Gone were the feelings of guilt of taking Okita's tickets. He was about to go see the year's most anticipated movie on Sunday! Now, who to take? He could ask Suzu. He definitely wasn't asking Susumu. As he pondered this question, someone suddenly ran into him from behind. "Hey!" he shouted, turning around to face the person. He gasped as he ended up face to face with Saya. His initial thoughts were to blow her off, but she was staring at him in the most pleading, frightened look he had ever seen on another person's face. "Saya…" he began, reaching out to her. Sensing no attempt to recoil, he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "What's wrong?" He tilted his head as she slipped a piece of paper in his hand, taking both his hands and staring at him with big, teary eyes. "What's going on? What is this paper you gave me for?"

"Oh, there you are, Saya-chan!" a middle aged business man replied, walking over to her. He had black hair with a comb over and was wearing a gray suit. "Now why in the world did you run off on me like that? You should be getting ready for our night of--" As he spotted Tetsunosuke, he quickly stopped himself. Grabbing Saya's hand, he practically dragged her away.

Once they were out of eyesight, Tetsu read the piece of paper. It was short note that said "Help me!" and had an address and apartment number. Suddenly a dark revelation fell over him. "Saya is… part of an escort service? Why was Saya so scared looking, though?" His eyes widening in horror, he burst into a frantic dash. "Saya… Hang on! Don't let him…"

-----

As Tetsunosuke arrived at the apartments, he burst up the stairs, almost falling down in the process. Apartment 108 was the one he was looking for. Running down the hallway, his chest began to ache. But the thought of Saya being tainted pushed him forward. He collapsed as he arrived at the room. He lay there for a moment before hearing the sounds of mumbling and Saya screaming. "Saya!" he screamed, standing up and growling. Backing away from the door, he turned to his side and ran into it shoulder first. Wincing in pain, he repeated the action. Over and over again he slammed into the door, getting nowhere near close to making it give way. "Saya!" he shouted, smashing his shoulder into the door. "Just hold on!" As he realized the futility of his actions, his attacks on the door lessened. "Just…" He eventually gave up, falling to his knees and crying. "I'm sorry, Saya! I'm just too weak…"

"What the hell are you blubbering about?" Susumu asked, standing behind him. Holding a plastic bag with some food in it, he stared at his classmate. "…And just what the hell are you doing here?"

"Susumu!" Tetsunosuke shouted, jumping in shock. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"My sister and I live in this building", he replied plainly. He yelped as Tetsu grabbed his leg. "H-hey! Leggo!"

"Susumu! You have to help Saya!" Tetsu cried, tears running freely down his face. "If you don't, she'll be--"

"Fine, fine…" Glaring at the door to room 108, he screamed and kicked the door, knocking it off it's hinges in one blow. With determined looks on their faces, the two boys stormed the apartment. Rushing into a bedroom, they found the perverted business man with Saya, having forcefully stripped her down to her underwear. Snarling in disgust, he grabbed the man by the head and tossed him aside.

"Saya!" Tetsunosuke shouted, running over to her. "Are you okay?" As the girl uneasily nodded, he smiled and sighed in relief. "I'm so glad… If anything had happened to you--" He blushed, realizing that his words might be taken in the wrong way. "That is, I was worried about you… as a friend…" Wanting to change the subject, he turned to his taller classmate. "Thank you, Susumu!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever…" Susumu replied, crossing his arms. How in the world did he end up in this mess? This was the **last** time he went on an errand for his sister on the way home from school. "Just make sure to keep a better eye on your girlfriend next time…"

Both of the shorter students blushed, looking towards each other, then looking away again.

-----

"TETSUNOOOOSUKEEE!" Tatsu screamed, running past police officers and grabbing his little brother in a hug. "What the hell were you thinking?" He cried, squeezing the life out of the younger Ichimura. "Why didn't you just call the police first?"

"I'm sorry, Tatsu! I was panicking!" Tetsunosuke had soon called the police and soon news vans were all over the place. He wheezed as it became difficult for him to breath. "Tatsu, you're suffocating me!" As it turned out, Saya's would-be rapist had a criminal record of past charges of the molestation of teenage girls. His capture was soon broadcast on television, attracting the eye of Saya's friend Hana and their guardian, a woman named Akesato. As they arrived, Tetsunosuke recognized Hana as the girl who was selling panties with Saya. "It's you!" he shouted, his brother having let him out of the 'death hug'.

"Thank you so much for saving Saya!" she shouted, crying in joy. She had no idea that Saya was providing 'enjo kosai' to older men. "I'm sorry for shouting at you the other day…"

"Aw, it's okay…" the redhead replied, scratching the back of his head. "It was nothing for the great Tetsunosuke Ichimura!" Humbling a bit, he added "But I couldn't have done it without Susumu!" He quickly pointed over to the frequently apathetic boy, smiling. "If it hadn't been for him, I never could have even reached Saya!"

"Ooohh…" Hana looked over to the mature looking boy in admiration, her face flushing. She quickly ran over to dote on him. "Oh, Susumu! Hi there!"

Susumu, who was standing near a telephone pole and heard the whole conversation, raised an eyebrow as the girl came up and began to stare at him with wide eyes. "Hey, wait! I…" Glancing over at his classmate, he smirked. "Funny. You'll get yours soon enough."

"I'm sorry that my Saya caused your younger brother so much trouble." Akesato replied, in yet another Kansai accent. With long, flowing brown hair, the woman wore a light yellow sun dress, wooden sandals, and a light blue wool jacket. "She'll be thoroughly scolded when we get home."

"No need to apologize." Tatsu assured her, chuckling. "Ever since our parents were murdered, Tetsu's never liked to see people be wronged. He just can't stand by and let weaker people be taken advantage of." He paused for a moment before evaluating his comment. "N-not that Saya is a weak person! That's not what I meant at all! I--"

Akesato giggled. "That's quite all right. I know you didn't mean to insinuate that Saya is weak." She frowned, absentmindedly continuing. "It's been hard lately, really hard. Saya and Hana have been doing all they can to help me with bills and such. But to do something so foolish…" She smiled, shaking her head. "What am I doing, bothering you with my problems?"

Tatsunosuke frowned, turning away, speechless.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	4. Day Off, First Half

S'been a while… I've been a bit distracted lately, along with some writer's block, but here I am, writing another entry in this tale. Um, and that's about all I have to say at the moment.

-Kouji Tamino

-----

**Kurogane High**

Chapter 4: _Day Off _(Part 1)

A few more days had passed, and the long school day was coming to an end. Tomorrow was Sunday, which of course meant the weekend was here. All of the kids already had plans, but Tetsunosuke had a dilemma. His tickets for the 'Seven Samurai' movie were for the premiere tonight, but he had no idea who to invite now due to several new factors. "Suzu's my friend, but so is Saya. I've known Suzu just a little longer, but poor Saya has really had it tough." He thought for a moment before groaning. "And Susumu… I have to thank him for helping me the other day somehow…" He yelped as someone suddenly put a hand on his head. "Hey, what the--!"

"Not interested…" the tall boy replied, an apathetic look on his face. "It'll never be as good as Kurosawa's classic. Why don't you ask your girlfriend or whatever?"

"She's not my girlfriend…" Tetsunosuke muttered, blushing slightly. "And she really doesn't seem like the type of person who would be into these types of movies…" he added, referring to Saya of course.

"You don't know that, though." Susumu replied, uncharacteristically interested. "For all you know, she could have a little violent streak in her and likes the sight of blood…" Chuckling, he crossed his arms. "You'll never know if you don't ask…"

"Well, I guess I can ask Saya…" Tetsunosuke said in an unsure voice. "At least now I don't have as many choices to make over who to bring..." Looking at his watch, he screamed. "Damn, I'm gonna be late for Kendo Club again!" He ran towards the dojo without much as a 'seeya' as he hurried off.

Susumu simply shook his head, kicking the ground absentmindedly. "What a nuisance…" The boy froze as he suddenly felt someone or something hugging him from behind. "What in the-- Oh no…" A feeling of dread fell upon him.

"Oh, Susumu!" A familiar sounding young girl's voice shouted. "I've missed you all day!" She cooed, snuggling against him cutely as he shivered. She tilted her head in concern, backing up a bit to get a good look at him. "What's with the shivering? You okay, Susumu? You have a cold or something?"

"No…" Susumu muttered through gritted teeth, a demented looking fake grin planted on his face. "Everything is just fine…" He reluctantly endured it all, swearing that he'd make Tetsunosuke pay later…

-----

"Good work, everyone!" Souji shouted happily, his hands together and a smile on his face. "Have fun on your day off and good work today!"

Tetsu sighed in relief as he removed his mask, brushing a bit of sweat from his brow. The club's meet today was coming to an end and the members were preparing to pack things up and get home. "That was a pretty good match, huh Suzu?" If Tetsunosuke were going to ask his friend and rival, it would have to be now. "Um… Suzu?"

"Hm?" The white haired boy turned as he took of his bogu, kendo armor. "What is it, Tetsunosuke?" He had to admit, Tetsu was getting better at every meeting. If he didn't keep up on his toes, he might just get better than him. They were still pretty equal, with Suzu edging the other boy out just by a bit.

"Well, I had tickets to the new Samurai Seven movie, and I was wondering if you wanted to go!" The red head exclaimed, holding the tickets up triumphantly. Nearby, Okita chuckled a bit as he watched in approval.

"Sorry, Tetsunosuke, I'm already going with my guardian." Suzu replied, putting his equipment away. He kind of felt sorry for Tetsu, but he rarely ever got to hang out with Yoshida much these days, so this would be a very rare event that he just couldn't pass up. "You'll have to ask someone else."

Tetsunosuke nodded, smiling. "That's okay, it just makes things easier on me! I had another friend who I wanted to take, but only two tickets!" He'd love for his two best friends to meet. "Maybe we'll see each other at the theater? I want to introduce you and Saya to each other! You might know her already, since she goes to this school!"

"Hmm, not sure if I've met her or not…" Suzu said, scratching his chin in thought. He smiled back at his friend. "Yeah, maybe we'll see each other there." He smirked deviously, adding, "I'd love to meet your new girlfriend".

"She's not my girlfriend, damn it!" Tetsu shouted, stomping his foot and invoking snickers from the whole Kendo Club. He growled in exasperation. "Aw, not you guys, too!"

-----

Tetsunosuke ran towards the tennis court at breakneck speed, hoping to meet up with Saya before she left. She was in Tennis Club with Hana, so he could catch up to them before they left for home if he hurried. Catching them coming out of the girl's locker room, he ran with all his might towards them, leaping over a bench as they passed, "Saya!" and failing to clear it completely. He fell flat on his face, making a few witnesses laugh. "Own… Damn it, I really screwed up." He was too embarrassed to even pick himself off the ground, not wanting to see how everyone was staring and laughing at him. It frustrated him so much! He wanted to stand up and shout at them, tell them all to shut up, but he knew it was no use. They would just laugh at him harder.

Biting her lip and glaring, Saya shook angrily. How could they laugh at someone who had fallen like that? He could be seriously injured! She rushed over to Tetsu's side, frowning furiously at all of the spectators who were taking pleasure in his pain, huffing and giving them the cold shoulder as she turned to the boy, her expression softening as she tried to get him up.

"What's wrong with you people!" Hana shouted, a glare on her face. "Poor Tetsunosuke could be hurt, and here you are, laughing at him!" As she scolded them, the laughing began to dissipate. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Screaming, she began to chase everyone away, waving her arms wildly. "Go away! Shoo! Shoo!" Sighing as the crowd dispersed, she smiled over at Saya and Tetsunosuke.

"Th-thank you, Saya…" Tetsu said softly, glancing over to Hana as he sat up. "Thank you, too." He knew that this incident would continue to haunt him for a while, though. Still, it was a relief to be free of torment for now. Suddenly he remembered what he came here for. "Oh! Saya!" Reaching into his pocket, he took out the tickets. "I… wanted to know if you wanted to go to the movies with me this weekend…" Becoming timid, he shook his head. "No… Why would you want to watch a movie about samurai?" Sighing, he began to put the tickets away. "Sorry, it was a stupid ide--" He gasped as Saya suddenly grabbed his hands, smiling at him. "You mean… You want to go?" He smiled back as she nodded yes. "That's great! But um… Where should we meet?"

Giggling, Saya took a pencil and a piece of paper out of her bag and began to scribble down a meeting spot that they'd both recognize before handing it to the boy. She was so excited. No one had ever asked her out like this before. She felt so flattered that of all the girls at school, he would choose her. She waved as she left with Hana.

Waving at the girls as they left, he sighed, smiling. Mission accomplished. Now all he had to do was wait for tomorrow… He yelped as he suddenly realized that he had failed to tell his older brother anything about what was going on, tickets included. "Aw, damn it! With as excited as I was, I'm surprised I didn't brag about it to him! How the hell is he gonna let me go on such short notice!"

-----

Oddly enough, Tetsunosuke was allowed to go, on one condition… "…'Call me every hour or I'll get worried'… Bleh!" Tetsu rolled his eyes, impersonating his older brother. Sighing, he calmed down. "He's just… worried about me", he softly, in understanding. "I don't blame him. I probably shouldn't even be alive." Dressed in a long-sleeved blue jacket, white t-shirt with black stripe, dark blue jeans, and his usual sneakers (it was a pair of the school's indoor shoes that had been cut by the buzz saw), he waited patiently for Saya by a fountain in the new shopping center that was the talk of the town. "Where the heck is she? This was the meeting spot and the time that she arranged! It's been almost 17 minutes and it's gonna throw off my whole schedule I had planned out for us!" Well, as patient as Tetsunosuke could get.

About a minute or two later, as if she had heard his shouts, Saya ran towards him, panting heavily. She wore an unbuttoned long sleeved pink blouse, matching skirt, white spaghetti strap shirt, and white sandals. To finish off the adorable outfit, she wore a pink bow on her head. Tetsunosuke was almost knocked off his feet by how well she pulled off the look. "Saya, that's a really cute outfit!" he said in compliment. Blushing, the girl took his hand and pretended to write something in his palm. 'Did you wait long?' was what the message said. Lying he shook his head no. "Actually, I had just gotten here a few minutes ago. Anyway, I thought we could go do a little window-shopping after we eat lunch. The movie won't start until around 6:45." Winking, he added, "I have a little money saved up, so if you see something you like, don't be afraid to ask!"

Saya, blushed, politely declining his offer with a shake of her head. She didn't want to be a bother. He was the person that saved her after all. She sweat dropped, noting that Susumu was the one that technically saved the day. But Tetsunosuke _did _alert him of the situation, and he tried to help, which is all that matters. Plus, Susumu wasn't the one who comforted her afterwards… She walked along side him as they walked to the food court, feeling quite hungry since she had overslept and had to skip breakfast, which was of course, the reason she was late. Tugging on Tetsunosuke's sleeve, she pointed to a nearby noodle place.

"So you wanna eat there, Saya?" he asked, looking in the direction she was pointing in. He smiled, walking over. "Okay then! Let's go!"

-----

After ordering their meal, they walked over to a table, sat down, and waited. As they waited, they heard an overly loud, obnoxiously sloppy slurping sound from behind. A bit of broth splattered Tetsu in the back of the head. Turning around in annoyance, he began shouting at the offender. "Hey, you! Why don't you--" He quickly stopped himself as he realized who he was screaming his head off at. His jaw dropped and he began to stutter. "O-o-officer Saito…"

"I had a feeling that the head of red hair in front of me belonged to you, Ichimura…" Hajime replied, slurping up a bowl of soba noodles, as usual. He leaned forward, giving the boy a stern look through his bored looking eyes. "It's very rude to disturb a man's meal."

"It's also pretty rude to get your food onto other people…" replied smugly, crossing his arms. "The fact that you accomplished that from your distance clearly implies that you're the one at fault here!" Huffing angrily, he calmed down as he took note of the police officer's clothing. He was wearing what looked like an old Meiji era police officer's uniform, sans the hat… It clearly wasn't standard police attire, and he could get in big trouble if he was caught. "Um, what's with the outfit?"

"It's my day off…" He replied plainly, taking another slurp of soup. "I always wear this on my off. I found it in a clothing shop that specialized in old clothing, in almost mint condition surprisingly, and it just seemed to call out to me…" Spacing out for a moment, Saito stared off into the distance. "There's a spirit here."

Saya tilted her head in confusion, making a faint "Hn?" sound. This Saito person was quite strange, Saya thought to herself. Could he really be a police officer? She decided not to question him.

Nothing the girl's confusion, Hajime explained, holding up some beads. "I originally came here to deal with a restless spirit who died on this land. I got hungry and came here, to the food court."

"Lunch can't get here soon enough…" Tetsunosuke muttered, running his hands through his hair and tugging on the red locks, Saya giggling as she watched. "Aw Saya, it's not funny…"

Meanwhile, at another table that was within hearing distance, Okita held back his snickers, a stoic looking Hijikata sitting across from him. Souji wore a light blue turtleneck, white pants, and matching sneakers. Toshizo was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, jeans, and black boots. Hijikata "…It's really not that funny", the principal muttered, glaring at the embarrassing display by a student at his school. "I swear, that brat had better not cause any trouble…"

_**To Be Continued…**_


	5. Day Off, Second Half

It's been a while. Sorry, I had some writer's block involving this story, so I kept skipping writing this in my 'schedule' and worked on some other stories until it passed. I still don't feel as though I'm up to writing this next chapter, but I've postponed it long enough. So here we go.

---Kouji Tamino

-----

**Kurogane High**

Chapter 5: _Day Off_ (Part 2)

After eating lunch, Tetsunosuke and Saya headed off to a store that Saya had wanted to check out for a while. About partway there, Saya took a handkerchief out of her purse and blind folded the boy. "H-hey!" Tetsu shouted, waving his arms around. He had no idea what she was doing, but for some reason, he didn't like it. "Saya, what the hell?"

Giggling, Saya took his hand and led him to the place that she had in mind. She couldn't wait to show him her big surprise, her little 'thank you' for coming to her rescue. She really hoped he liked it…

Tetsunosuke was dragged across the shopping center by Saya, wondering what in the heck she had planned. Temporarily blinded, his only guide was Saya. The faceless murmurs of random passerby's were driving him insane. "Saya, where are we going?" Soon realizing that she was going to straight out ignore him until they reached their destination. A few moments later, they stopped, Saya drawing the characters for 'wait here' in his palm with her finger. And so, for half an hour, Tetsunosuke stood there blindfolded, feeling like a complete idiot. Finally, he could feel someone taking the blindfold off. He couldn't tell if it was Saya or not, but at this point he didn't really care. A glare on his face, his expression soon became one of amazement. Saya was at her most beautiful, dressed in a golden yellow kimono with white lining and designs of sakura blossoms embroidered on it. Her hair was tied up and had make-up applied lightly to her face. "S-Saya…" Tetsunosuke stuttered, almost speechless. "You look really pretty…" He smiled as Saya blushed, looking towards the ground, fiddling with the cloth. "But wait, how can you afford all this?" Saya pointed to a nearby sign. He read it and smiled in interest at the store's interesting gimmick. "Oh!" he shouted, "This place lets you try on one kimono per visit? That's awesome, Saya!"

"Oh!" a familiar women's voice shouted. "Tetsunosuke and Saya! What are you doing here?" The two turned around to see Ayumu, dressed in a dark blue kimono. What was really shocking, however, was Tatsunosuke standing behind her, dressed in an olive green hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants, and white sneakers, carrying a ton of bags. "Are you two on a date? That's so cute!"

Blushing heavily, Tetsu looked away. Did she really have to ask that, and so loudly as well? "I could ask you two the same thing… Since when did you two _meet_, much less hang out?"

The Cooking teacher/Nurse smiled. "Oh, we're on a date", she replied, casually.

"Oh, I see…" Tetsunosuke began, turning back to Saya. He suddenly did a double take, staring at the pair, jaw dropping. "What the hell? How in the--"

Tatsunosuke chuckled nervously, straining against the weight of the bags. "Well, it's kinda like this", he began, explaining the whole situation.

-----

A few days ago, Tatsunosuke Ichimura and Ayumu Yamazaki met for the first time. In the nurse's office, Tatsu suffering from a rather large cut on his head. "Oh my!" the woman shouted, rushing to gather the appropriate materials to treat her patient. "How ever in the world did you get such an injury?"

Sighing as his head was bandaged up, he recalled the events that brought him here. "It's kinda embarrassing, really. I was reorganizing some books when a couple fell from the top of the shelf and bashed me in the head." Wincing as she finished, tightening the gauze bandages, he smiled half-heartedly. "It's a wonder I was able to drag myself all the way here. And thanks."

"No problem!" she replied, smiling back. "But you poor man!" Smiling mischievously, she poked him in the nose. "Hey, you have any plans this Sunday? I was wondering if you'd like to hang out at that new shopping center!"

Tatsu blinked in surprise over her sudden offer. "Are you asking me out… on a date?" He pinched himself on the cheek, wondering if he was dreaming. He yelped as he soon discovered that he was not.

Giggling, she leaned in towards him, her face now a few inches from his. "I dunno, if you wanna call it that… Yeah, I guess it'd be kinda a date!"

-----

"So you're on a pity date…" Tetsunosuke muttered, staring back and forth between Ayumu and Tatsunosuke, both with a smile plastered on their face. So _that's_ where the bandage his big brother had been wearing recently came from. "_And_ you're left holding all the bags?" The younger Ichimura couldn't help but have both feelings of pity and the urge to laugh at the pathetic situation his older sibling was in.

"Don't you dare laugh, Tetsu…" his older brother replied, shifting to get a batter hold on the bags. "I'm doing this as a favor for Yamazaki-san helping me."

"Yeah, whatever!" Tetsunosuke shouted, hands behind his head. "You're still on a pity date after getting taken out by a book!"

"C'mon _dear_…" Ayumu said teasingly, taking the man by his elbow and dragging him away to another part of the rather large store. As they left the young couple, she consoled her 'date' by pointing over to them. "Don't worry, looks like Tetsu is going to learn a little lesson from Saya." Sure enough, the girl was ignoring the redhead for his behavior. Giggling, she put a hand to her mouth. "Poor Tetsu. Oh well, it will pass."

"Are we done yet?" Tatsu asked, too exhausted to enjoy his brother's comeuppance. They'd been walking for several hours with no rest in sight. "These bags are getting really heavy and I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Hmmm…" Ayumu rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment. "Okay, fine!" she replied with a smile. "Let's take a break and have lunch!" There was a pause as Tatsu sighed in relief. "_After_ we visit two more stores!" She rolled her eyes as her reluctant bag carrier groaned. "Hey, quit whining! Be a good boy and you might get something special", the woman said seductively, with a wink. She laughed as his face went completely red. "Kidding! Just kidding!"

-----

"C'mon, Saya!" Tetsu whined, following Saya as she walked at a deliberately quick pace in order to avoid him. What in the world did he do? He was just having a little fun. Then again, it wasn't very fun when the kids from school were picking on him at school the other day when he fell flat on his face, was it? And who had been there to help him get on his feet and defend him? Hana and **Saya**. He felt absolutely terrible. "Aw, Saya… I'm sorry for being a jerk…"

Saya suddenly stopped near a large fountain. He yelped as she turned around, pushing him away. Losing his balance, he toppled backwards and fell into the water. The girl gasped as he splashed water everywhere. As the initial shock and chaos subsided, she giggled at the soaked boy that was Tetsunosuke. He said nothing, glaring at the girl who was laughing at his misfortune despite giving him a hard time about being sensitive to other people's peril just a few seconds ago.

As she offered her hand in assistance, struggling to hold back any more laughter, he grinned evilly, yanking her into the fountain as well. "Gotcha!" he shouted, laughing as he huffed angrily, holding her breath and puffing her cheeks out. Giving her own mischievous smile, she scooped up some water in her hands and started to toss water at him. Tetsu splashed her back and the exchange soon erupted into a two-person water war. Laughing and giggling, they attracted a small sized crowd of spectators who either looked on in amusement at the cute couple or disgust for the pair's lack of discipline.

"Saya?" a familiar high-pitched voice asked. "Tetsunosuke?" The two stopped dead in their tracks, turning slowly as they gasped. Staring at them with wide eyes was Saya's friend Hana, wearing a yellow sleepless shirt and sky blue skirt with matching sandals. "What in the world are you two doing? You're making a scene!"

-----

Later that day, after finding a place to wring out their clothes in private and drying off, a damp Tetsunosuke and Saya hung out with Hana. "How's it going, Tetsu?" Hana asked cheerfully, taking a seat next to them on a bench. "How's your 'date' with Saya going?" Giggling mischievously, she continued. "You haven't endangered her chastity, have you?"

Blushing heavily, Tetsunosuke shook his head frantically. "N-no way!" he shouted, waving his hands in front of himself in defense. "How could you even think something like that? Besides…" he began with a pout. "It's not a date. Saya and I are just friends, right?" he looked to Saya for support.

Looking a tad disappointed, she slowly nodded in agreement. Why was she so bothered by his words? They _were_ only hanging out as friends, weren't they? She sighed, deciding not to trouble herself with such thoughts and just enjoy herself.

"Oh, is that so?" Hana asked, not fully convinced. Sticking out her tongue, she decided to play along. "Then if that's the case, you wouldn't mind getting me some shaved ice, would you?" She pointed over to a vendor who happened to be selling the cold treat. "Would you please, Tetsunosuke?"

"Um, sure!" Tetsu shouted enthusiastically, cherishing any opportunity to get away from the awkward conversation. Looking to his 'girl friend that wasn't a girlfriend', he smiled. "Saya, you want some too?"

Nodding awkwardly, she smiled back. She blushed as Hana gave her a suspicious look. Never in her life had she wanted her best friend to leave her alone so strongly. Her mere presence was troublesome right now, what with her being so nosy.

"What's with the smiles, you two?" Hana asked, giggling. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two are head over heels in puppy love with each other!" She snickered as the lone boy of the group ran off to fetch some shaved ice. Scooting closer to Saya, she smiled. "Girl, quit lying to yourself. Come on, you can tell me. Your precious puppy boy's out of earshot. How do you _really_ feel about him? I promise I won't laugh or make a scene." Grinning as the mute girl took her hand, she concentrated to read what was being written into her palm. "…'I… like… him… a lot.'…" Giving a big smile, she squealed, causing her friend to try and shut her up. "Tee-hee, sorry…" Her expression growing warmer, she took her friend's hands in hers. "Saya, that's so wonderful. I hope it works out between you two. Tetsu seems like a really decent guy, if not a bit hot headed." Suddenly growing prideful, she gave a somewhat snooty expression. "Of course, he can't hold a candle to my tall, dark, mysterious, and oh-so dreamy Susumu!" Lost in her fantasies, she failed to notice Saya sighing pitifully at her or a certain redhead returning with the shaved ice.

Tetsunosuke arrived set the three cups on the bench, one green, another blue, and the third was red. Each had been impaled with a plastic spoon. "Okay!" he began with a cheerful grin. "We've got watermelon, blue raspberry, and cherry! Pick your favorite, girls!" He sighed in dismay as he was left with watermelon. "Aw man…" he muttered, picking the green shaved ice up with an annoyed expression as Hana giggled. "Hey, it's not _that_ funny."

"Oh, forgive me, Tetsu." Hana replied, calming down with a glint in her eyes, actually amused about what Saya had just revealed involving the boy. "I was just laughing about something else…" This comment earned her an angry huff from Saya, thoroughly confusing the hell out of Tetsu.

-----

"Bye, you guys!" Hana waved as the pair headed towards the theater. "Enjoy the movie!" She watched as Saya laughed at something Tetsunosuke had said, smiling. "I haven't seen her smile like that in ages…" she said to herself. "Saya, I'm so happy for you…"

-----

Tetsu and Saya walked into the building, tickets already in hand thanks to Okita. As they stood in line at the concession stand, the fiery redhead heard another familiar voice. "Oh hello there, Ichimura!" The young couple turned around to see Math teacher Souji Okita and Principal Toshizo Hijikata in line behind them.

"Wagh!" Tetsu shouted, shivers running up his spine. "M-M-Mr. Hijikata!" Just the mere presence of the man made his blood run cold. Even now, at a movie theater, outside of school and school related activities, the man's cold eyes pierced him like a katana in an act of seppuku. In fact, Tetsu at that moment believed that seppuku would be a rather appealing alternative to say, spending even an hour in the same room with this man.

"You again?" Hijikata blanched, sneering in disgust. "It would appear that our wretched fates are entwined, what with us bumping into each other frequently. Obviously you didn't notice, what with your disgraceful behavior earlier, but we both were at the food court at around the same time as well." Was this boy stalking him? He had half a mind to make him stand in the hall and carry a pair of buckets of water, but he had no power here.

"Oh hush, Mr. Hijikata! Be nice!" Souji scolded, a playful frown on his face. "Besides, it's my fault he's here! I gave him my extra tickets!"

"You gave _him_ the tickets I got you?" Hijikata asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought that Nagakura, Todou, and Harada were going?"

"Well Harada's here…" Souji began, scratching his head. "But Nagakura and Todou haven't been feeling well, and it's only gotten worse! So they forfeited their tickets. Ichimura was feeling down, so I gave them to him!"

"Well, whatever…" Hijikata stared back at Tetsunosuke. "Ichimura, stay out of trouble, will you?" With that, the conversation ended.

-----

After the movie, a hyped Tetsunosuke walked into the lobby with Saya, ranting in joy. "-- and it was so awesome! The part near the end was the best, and I really think that it can stand up to the original!" Calming down, he looked over to Saya apologetically. "I'm sorry… I'm boring you, aren't I?" Sighing in relief as she shook her head no, he smiled. "I'm glad."

"Hey! Tetsunosuke!" Suzu shouted, waving towards him. "How's it going? Wasn't that movie great?" Standing next to him was Yoshida, who after staring at the boy Suzu was greeting, gasped, his eyes widening.

"Suzu!" Tetsunosuke shouted cheerfully. "Hey there! Have you met Saya? And is that guy that Yoshida guy you were talking about?" Walking over, he winced as the tall, long haired man's hand came forward and backhanded him in the face, knocking him down. The lobby quieted down slightly as the people near them took notice, muttering and gasping amongst themselves in shock. "Oww… What the--"

"Mr. Yoshida!" Suzu screamed, completely taken aback by his guardian's behavior. "What are you doing?" He had wished that Tetsu and Yoshida could meet, but not like this…

"This boy is tainted, Suzu…" Yoshida finally said in explanation, pointing at the redhead. "Stay away from him."

"But sir--!" Suzu shouted. He was given a smack of his own.

"Stay away from him!" Yoshida screamed at the top of his lungs, attracting the attention of the rest of the lobby. "I mean it!"

"Is there a problem here?" Hijikata asked with a cold stare on his face, walking towards the confrontation. He wasn't sure what was going on, but **no one** messed with one of his students. He raised an eyebrow as he got a good look at Tetsu's tormentor. He seemed to recognize him from somewhere, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"No, we were just leaving…" Yoshida replied, not quite lying. Grabbing his protégé's arm, he tugged him along. "Come, Suzu…" He grunted, sensing some resistance from the boy as they left the building.

Sighing, he looked toward the boy sitting on the ground. "Ichimura, you okay?"

Getting help back on his feet from Saya, he nodded. What was Yoshida's problem? What the hell did _he _do? At that moment, Tetsunosuke vowed to himself that he would make him pay… Somehow, someway… But he had this _aura_ about him that scared him more than Hijikata did… "Yeah, I guess…" Looking around, he tilted his head. "Hey, where's Mr. Okita?"

"In the restroom…" he muttered, hoping that Souji didn't see him just now. Unfortunately, things didn't quite go that way…

"Mr. Hijikata!" Souji shouted, popping up behind him. "That was so sweet of you to stand up for Ichimura like that!" A look of concern on his face, he looked to the boy. "Tetsu, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah…" he said softly, grabbing Saya's hand without realizing it. "We have to go. It's getting pretty late, and Saya promised to be home early. Seeya…"

"Take care, Tetsu!" Souji yelled, waving at the departing duo with a rather large grin, an annoyed Hijikata with a hand on his head.

-----

"Thank you for putting up with me…" Ayumu said to Tatsunosuke as they stepped up to her door. "My younger brother was getting on my last nerve, sulking around the house and all. I just needed to get out and do something."

"Oh, it was nothing." The elder Ichimura replied, chuckling. He was just glad that he didn't have to carry all those bags anymore. He gasped as Ayumu leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're such a sweet guy…" Ayumu declared softly, laughing. "Goodnight." Opening the door, she dragged in all the things she bought and gave him one last smile before closing it.

Touching his cheek where the woman's soft lips had just been and blushed, wobbling to his own apartment. Grinning cockily, he chuckled a bit uncharacteristically. "Pity date my butt…"

_**To Be Continued…**_


End file.
